Panaji: The state-appointed lifeguard services
which man Goa 's beaches have decided to put up
red flags at all the beach entrances from this week onwards as monsoons are likely
to hit the coast anytime.
Tushar Sunil Shinde, Manager (Operations), Drishti
Special Response Service (DSRS), said they will be putting up red flags at the
main entrance points of beaches which otherwise have red and yellow flags
signifying safe swimming zones.
“The red flags across the different beaches now
mean that the area is not meant for swimming,” he said.
The Goa government
has already shut down the beaches for swimming as the sea is rough during
monsoons.
The DSRS, which has 420 lifeguards manning 105 km long beach
“We will also try to educate people via our Public
Address System put up on the jeeps through which the lifeguards will announce
the ban on swimming in the waters,” he said adding that lifeguards who patrol
the beach will also further communicate with tourists who try to venture out
into the sea and explain the dangers involved.
Shinde said the monsoons coming in the water
current turns violent and the size of the waves rise considerably.
“These large waves are not regular waves, they have
a criss-cross pattern and are extremely difficult to manage. To add to the
woes, Goan beaches have a lot of monsoonal inlets at specific locations and
these water run offs generate strong rip currents (water that runs towards the
sea) which exists till the end of monsoons,” he said.
Shinde said additionally there are feeders or
lateral currents which run parallel to the beach and end straight into these
rips so even if a swimmer gets into water at a particular location which he
thinks is otherwise “safe”, he will get dragged into these rips eventually,
thus, endangering his life.
